Sealant or Solid Gasket?

Silicone- or RTV-based liquid sealants have become indispensable in automotive mass production. Under highly automated production conditions, they offer a reliable, cost-effective, and highly flexible solution for a wide range of sealing tasks.

However, while RTV can fully demonstrate its strengths in OE production, the situation in everyday workshop operations is quite different. Here, non-standardized processes, manual application, and varying environmental conditions all come into play—with direct implications for the quality of the seal.

 

Why RTV Excels in Mass Production

In industrial manufacturing, sealants are applied automatically and with high precision. Modern dispensing systems ensure consistent bead geometry, precisely defined material quantities, and reproducible positioning. At the same time, clean components, consistent surface qualities, and stable environmental conditions ensure high process reliability. 
Under these conditions, liquid sealants deliver their full potential:

· Compensation for tolerances

· Flexible adaptation to complex geometries

· Reduced logistical effort

Especially for components such as oil pans, valve bodies, or housing covers, RTV is therefore a technically and economically proven solution in mass production.

 

Workshop Reality: When Process Reliability Becomes a Challenge

In the service sector, the operating conditions change significantly. Application is typically done manually—and thus depends on the experience, care, and work habits of the individual applicator. Even minor deviations in application, bead placement, or material quantity can lead to leaks over time. 
This becomes particularly critical with complex sealing geometries involving:

· hard-to-reach installation locations

· long sealing contours

· transitions and radii

· sealing surfaces subjected to varying loads

Here, the risk of rework increases significantly—with direct consequences for workshop productivity, costs, and customer satisfaction.

 

Real-world example from the U.S.: GM Gen V L83

A typical real-world example is the Chevrolet L83 5.3-liter V8 from the GM Gen V engine family. In practice, it has been observed that sealing the upper oil pan, in particular, can lead to leaks under real-world operating conditions. Notably, these leaks often do not occur immediately after assembly but develop only during operation. This is precisely where the sensitivity of manual sealing processes becomes apparent: even minor deviations in the application can cause the seal to fail over the long term.
For repair shops, this means:

· labor-intensive disassembly

· increased time required

· increased risk of customer complaints

 

Elring offers targeted alternatives for service

It is precisely at this intersection between OE design and workshop reality that Elring steps in with specific aftermarket solutions. Application-specific solid gaskets can replace the use of liquid sealants here. The geometry, material distribution, and sealing function are defined by the design—regardless of how the user applies them.
The benefits in everyday workshop operations:

· Reduced susceptibility to errors by eliminating manual application

· Consistent sealing quality—regardless of experience or environmental conditions

· Faster and more reliable installation

· Minimized risk of rework and customer complaints

Especially for complex or critical applications, Elring deliberately offers solutions that do not correspond to the OE design but are specifically optimized for service requirements.

 

Elring – Solutions engineered for real-world workshop conditions.